Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PresidentDr. Neal Barnardsays in his book,The Power of Your Plate, in which he explains that “early humans had diets very much like other great apes, which is to say a largely plant-based diet, drawing on foods we can pick with our hands. Research suggests that meat-eating probably began by scavenging—eating the leftovers that carnivores had left behind. However, our bodies have never adapted to it. To this day, meat-eaters have a higher incidence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other problems.”

There is no more authoritative source on anthropological issues than paleontologist Dr.Richard Leakey, who explains what anyone who has taken an introductory physiology course might have discerned intuitively—that humans are herbivores. Leakey notes that “[y]ou can’t tear flesh by hand, you can’t tear hide by hand…. We wouldn’t have been able to deal with food source that required those large canines” (although we have teeth that are called “canines,” they bear little resemblance to the canines of carnivores).

In fact, our hands are perfect for grabbing and picking fruits and vegetables. Similarly, like the intestines of other herbivores, ours are very long (carnivores have short intestines so they can quickly get rid of all that rotting flesh they eat). We don’t have sharp claws to seize and hold down prey. And most of us (hopefully) lack the instinct that would drive us to chase and then kill animals and devour their raw carcasses. Dr. Milton Mills builds on these points and offers dozens more in his essay, “A Comparative Anatomy of Eating.”

The point is this: Thousands of years ago when we were hunter-gatherers, we may have needed a bit of meat in our diets in times of scarcity, but we don’t need it now. Says Dr.William C. Roberts, editor of theAmerican Journal of Cardiology, “Although we think we are, and we act as if we are, human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us, because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.”

Noting the similarities, I think it’s safe to conclude that we have indeed developed to be herbivores (specifically, frugivores).

But does any of our evolutionary background even matter in terms of modern-day veganism? I would say no. Since it is apparent that humanscanthrive on a plant-based diet, it seems entirely irrelevant what we may have adapted to eating in the past.

So the question isn’t‘is meat healthy’? (it isn’t) or ‘did our ancestors eat meat’? (they didn’t) or‘do our bodies align with meat-eaters’? (they don’t). The question is ‘if we can live long, healthy lives without animal products(we can),why do we continue to exploit and abuse sentient, feeling beings?’ The answer is in the hands of carnists because I can’t see any way to justify it. Maybe they think “humane” meat is better, but if the whole process of breeding, enslaving, and killing animals is unnecessary (and actually, very unhealthy) how can we defend it at all?

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Melanie Joy, Ph.D., Ed.M., is a Harvard-educated psychologist, professor of psychology and sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, a celebrated speaker, and the author of the award-winning book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. Melanie is the eighth recipient of the Institute of Jainology’s Ahimsa Award, which was previously awarded to Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Her work has been featured by numerous national and international media outlets, including the BBC, Germany’s ARD, ABC Australia, the New York Times, and Spiegel Online. Melanie has given her acclaimed carnism presentation on five continents, and she is also the founder and president of the project Karnismus erkennen and of Carnism Awareness & Action Network.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Veganism: Be the change. Go vegan. (Graphic version)

Vegan facts, definition, philosophy and spirituality. Information on why you should try the vegan diet and philosophy. Why should you be vegan? Is it an unhealthy or a healthy diet? This is an inspirational and informative vegan video featuring my four vegan heroes: Tim Shieff, Melanie Joy, Phillip Wollen and Gary Yourofsky.

Non-graphic version

You may also want to check out these 3 wonderful sites all of which have a tremendous wealth of information and wisdom:

bitesizevegan.com
freefromharm.org
gentleworld.org

I would very highly recommend checking out “The World Peace Diet” by Will Tuttle, which may help you better understand the issues. It is the best book about veganism and the connection between all forms of violence and exploitation which I know of.

Take PETA’s Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide along with you next time you head to the store! The handy guide will help you find humane products at a glance. Order a FREE copyHERE

Want to do more than go vegan? Help others to do so! Click on the below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only compassionate route to being an animal friend.

He was calling the sanctuary hoping to find a home for the chickens he had been ordered to dump in the woods. The birds were deemed “too old for the pot”, too “stupid” to keep as pets, and too “ugly” to use as yard decoration, so the ranch owner decided to use them as coyote bait instead.

It was not something Pablo wanted to do but he feared that openly refusing to harm the chickens would not only jeopardize his already tenuous job as a handyman at the ranch where he worked in exchange for a room to crash in and a meager pay to live on, but it would also prevent him from finding a way to protect the birds. So he kept putting off the grim task, using every excuse he could think of to buy time for the condemned chickens, while he secretly searched for a safe home for them.

But time was running out and, with no internet access, no family or friends to call on for help, and under explicit threat of being fired, he found himself forced to appease his increasingly irate boss with a show of partial compliance: he resolved to take only one chicken into the woods that night, promising he would return in the morning to catch and dispatch the others.

And that’s how it all began, one frigid winter night when Pablo was forced to decide which of the six innocents would die. Under his boss’ watchful eyes, he took the one bird who was easiest to catch — the black rooster who was the least afraid, the one who was the most confident and talkative of the six, the one who was always patrolling the edge of the huddle that his family, frightened and suspicious of humans, often clustered in for protection. The bird who had taken a special interest in Pablo, keeping him company when he worked around the coop, allowing him closer to his family than anyone else, and offering a constant stream of comments and observations in sounds whose meaning the man did not understand but whose substance he recognized as trust.

The rooster did not move when Pablo entered the yard. He just stood there, as if waiting for a friend, and he didn’t protest when the man picked him up, held him, tucked him in his jacket and carried him away. He was not afraid, this fragile bird, he trusted the gentle human whose proximity he had welcomed in the past, and whom he always greeted with a high pitched purr, a unique sound reserved just for Pablo: his “name” for this man.

The walk from the coop to the truck was the longest 30 yards of Pablo’s life. He didn’t want to think of what he was about to do, he didn’t want to feel his own sadness, or imagine the despair that would soon engulf the doomed rooster, he just wanted to get the dreaded task over with as quickly as possible, hoping that the pain of harming this defenseless soul would be brief, that the memory of his dark deed would fade soon after the job was done, and that the “sacrifice” of one bird would buy him time to save the others.

He drove the rooster far into the woods, set him on frozen ground and left him there. He didn’t linger as night fell, didn’t look back, didn’t want to think of the next hours, or perhaps days, in the hapless bird’s life. He just hurried back to his truck and sped back to the ranch as if fleeing a nightmare.

But the nightmare followed him home. Back in his room, Pablo couldn’t stop thinking about the rooster. He was worried, he was sad, he was ashamed. The bird’s eyes haunted him, what he had done to this fellow being haunted him. He imagined the bird shivering in the bitter cold, frozen in fear, blind and helpless in the utter darkness, screaming in terror as powerful jaws crushed his bones, as he flapped his broken wings in a last, desperate effort to fly away, as his bloody feathers covered the ground like the leaves of a strange tree.

Everything Pablo had refused to see and feel as he took the rooster to his death earlier that evening, was now rushing back into his mind with haunting, unrelenting precision. He remembered every detail of the rooster’s being. The warmth of the bird’s chest against his, the living current of his breath as he huddled inside his jacket, the brave drum of his heart, the deep pools of his eyes, the unbearable gift of his trust. By midnight, Pablo jumped out of bed, grabbed a warm jacket and a flashlight, and drove back to the woods. Even if the bird was going to be killed at the ranch, Pablo could not, would not, be the agent of his death.

He searched everywhere, looked up and around every tree, reached under the thorny crown of every bush and shrub in the area where he had abandoned the bird, called out in soft whistles and gentle words, and then waited silently for the faintest stir, the faintest sign of life. But there was no response. At dawn, Pablo abandoned the search and drove back to the work site claiming he was there to “finish the job” but in reality planning to gather the remaining chickens and hide them somewhere until he could find a refuge for them (where? for how long? He did not know, but he knew he could not abandon them).

Bleary-eyed, ragged, exhausted, Pablo thought he was dreaming when he saw the black rooster standing in front of the coop. And when he heard that high pitched purr, that sweet trill that was the rooster’s name for him, it brought him to his knees, not because the call was uttered in anger or recrimination but because — unbearably — it was voiced in joy, in friendship, in forgiveness, and in trust. There he was, this brave bird, standing in front of him like a small earthly miracle, like a prophet of life.

It was at that very moment that a ranch visitor Pablo had never seen before stopped by to chat and, in the course of their casual conversation, she mentioned Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary.

Pablo called the sanctuary right away and left a long message explaining the situation in tones of great urgency. When we finally connected, we agreed to take the birds and bring them to safety. We talked at length. He lives from paycheck to paycheck (when and if he can find work), his bright mind was never given the academic stimulation it craved, he didn’t have a home to call his own, he scraped a living working at remote sites that offered a room to crash in and a menial pay. He is a genuinely kind, strong, and fair-minded person.

When the details of rescuing and transporting the chickens were finally in place, he had only one question: “What is vegan?” He explained that he had first heard the word on our answering machine and was wondering what it meant. In conversation, we conveyed that being vegan means living one’s life without depriving others of theirs. It means not only having the understanding that harming others is wrong, but acting on that understanding by refusing to harm ALL animals, not just the ones we meet face to face, but the ones we never get to see, the invisible ones who are bred and butchered for products none of us needs.

He listened with an open mind, free of prejudice and defensiveness. We offered abundant information, resources, immediate help and support as well as the assurance of future help and support during his transition to veganism. Before he hung up, he added in a soft voice, as if talking to himself: “I think I’ve always been a vegan at heart, but now I will be vegan in real life. I’ve always loved animals but I never knew I could live without hurting them for food and other things. Now I know. Thank you.”

Pablo has since expressed a desire to rescue as many of the animals captive at the ranch as possible. He has read all of the literature we provided and is hungry for more. He said that the day he saw the rooster — now named Pablo in honor of the man who saved his life and who, in the process, dared to reclaim his own — when he saw Pablo standing in front of the coop after having miraculously survived the freezing cold and the all-engulfing darkness, it was like seeing a road sign that pointed the way out of the woods, out of the cold, out of the darkness. THIS WAY, it said. And he followed.

The six chickens are now safe, loved, and free to fulfill their lives at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary. They still huddle in their little family clutch, and they still keep to themselves in the corner of the yard they claimed as their own. And Pablo rooster is still protecting them from everyone — from visiting sparrows and fellow chickens, to wondering sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and llamas. But they are a very happy family, a very harmonious group, these three “broiler” hens and their three “laying breed” roosters. They are gentle, and patient with one another, and the hens struggle to nurture everyone in their family despite the burden of living in bodies that are killing them.*

Pablo, the man, is free now, too. Free from prejudice and denial, free from the soul-killing practice of violence. Free to heal his own heart, to act on his own deeply held values of justice and compassion, free to follow the road back to his own true humanity, a road that started with one simple act of conscience. A conscience is all it takes to be vegan, after all. Doing the right thing takes no special skills, no special resources, no special privileges or support. Just a conscience and the will to act on it.

Take PETA’s Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide along with you next time you head to the store! The handy guide will help you find humane products at a glance. Order a FREE copyHERE

Want to do more than go vegan? Help others to do so! Click on the below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only compassionate route to being an animal friend.

*Please note:It’s far more expensive (per flyer) to ship smaller quantities. So that we spend our funds most efficiently, please only request flyers if you can commit to passing out at least 150! At a busy location, 150 should take less than an hour!

Grocery stores (that let out onto a public sidewalk), colleges, high schools, concert lines, dog parks, downtown shopping areas, subway or light rail entrances, craft shows, conventions (comicons, anime festivals, sci-fi cons, etc.), the beach, churches, fairs, festivals, art walks, home and garden shows, farmers markets, or any place with lots of people! You can also include the flyers with your Valentine’s Day cards and/or pass them out to friends, family, neighbors, etc. While not ideal, any extras can be put on car windshields if not raining.

Take PETA’s Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide along with you next time you head to the store! The handy guide will help you find humane products at a glance. Order a FREE copyHERE

Want to do more than go vegan? Help others to do so! Click on the below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only compassionate route to being an animal friend.

Take PETA’s Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide along with you next time you head to the store! The handy guide will help you find humane products at a glance. Order a FREE copyHERE

Want to do more than go vegan? Help others to do so! Click on the below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only compassionate route to being an animal friend.

Once again, it is hunting season, time for the myths that abound regarding this blood sport.

Hunters claim that they kill the weak and starving animals, thus helping the population. In actuality, hunters want the biggest and the best, those with a huge rack for the mantle trophy. Diseased animals don’t provide much optimal meat and, of course, isn’t that what hunting is all about? Nature’s own system of balance allows the debilitated, old animals to die out in favor of “survival of the fittest.” But when hunters are killing the dominant, healthy animals, the best genes are removed from the herd’s gene pool – as are the most experienced individuals – which leaves the population weak.Here are four more hunting myths:

∎ Hunting prevents the overpopulation of animals.

Actually, hunting creates an overabundance of animals of a certain species. Nature abhors a vacuum. For example, when a given amount of deer are removed from the herd by hunting, females will have more and bigger litters to fill up the gap.

∎ Hunted animals don’t suffer.

Wild animals are terrorized by the chase and agonized by the kill. Their families, herds and flocks are disrupted. It is estimated that for every animal a hunter kills and claims, at least two wounded but unrecovered animals die slowly and painfully from blood loss, infection or starvation. Those who don’t die can suffer permanent injury. During hunting season, wild animals are more likely to get hit by a vehicle as they flee into the road when hunters walk through their territory.

∎ Hunters pay the majority of the tab for conservation.

In reality, wildlife management and conservation programs receive up to 90 percent of their funds from general tax reserves, more than 90 percent of which are paid by non-hunters. Since less than 5 percent of the U.S. population hunts, this contribution is negligible. Every year, thousands of public acres are bulldozed, burned, replanted and otherwise manipulated to kill off non-target species (including natural predators) and attract game species. Animals are also bred or captured to stock hunting and fishing areas.

∎ Hunters help feed the homeless by donating meat from their kills.

A recent interesting study by Michael Gregor at Nutritionfacts.org showed that in game meat tested, 80 percent had lead bullet fragments in the samples. Nobody, including the homeless, needs more fat and cholesterol, found in meat, in their diet. More fruits, vegetables and protein from plant sources should be consumed daily.

What can you do to stop hunting? Oppose any legislation, national or local, that establishes higher quotas of animals to be hunted, lengthens hunting seasons, allows new species to be hunted. Speak out against any bills that open more wildlife refuges to hunting. Refuges should protect, not allow animals to be killed. If you own a substantial parcel of land, post it against hunting and trapping.

It is encouraging that every year fewer people hunt in the United States. The state Fish and Game Department’s income has decreased considerably, which is why the agency is constantly reaching out to get women, youth and the handicapped to purchase hunting licenses.

Hunting today is unnecessary and is more detrimental to animals and the environment than beneficial. Enjoy wildlife by “hunting” with a camera.

Take PETA’s Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide along with you next time you head to the store! The handy guide will help you find humane products at a glance. Order a FREE copyHERE

Want to do more than go vegan? Help others to do so! Click on the below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only compassionate route to being an animal friend.

Will the death of mule on the street during rush hour finally bring attention to the plight of the beasts of burden who pull 9-person carriages in the hot and chaotic streets of New Orleans? Evlin Lake, a local activist and one of the lone voices for the downtrodden mules, is desperately hoping it will.

On January 19th, the Nola Defender, a local newspaper, reported that “the death of a mule caused traffic delays” in the French Quarter. If it wasn’t for that article and the photo that accompanied it, neither Ms. Lake nor the Louisiana SPCA, which is responsible for humane law enforcement (HLE), would have learned about the mule’s death.

Amanda Pumilia, the SPCA’s Animal Control Supervisor, told TheirTurn, “We would have liked to investigate the death, but they dragged the mule away on a flatbed truck.” The SPCA does not know which mule died or the carriage company that hauled him or her away.

The SPCA’s HLE department responds to cruelty complaints, but it does not patrol the streets on a day-to-day basis to ensure that the mule-drawn carriage drivers obey the law. According to local activists, the lack of enforcement gives the drivers free rein to overload their carriages and work in the extreme heat.

On January 19th, when the unidentified mule died in the street, Ms. Lake quickly organized a rally to raise awareness of the tragic incident. Two local carriage drivers posing as “reporters from Philadelphia” kept her fully occupied to prevent her from speaking to tourists, but a fellow activist did manage to capture video of a distressed mule, which, activists say, is a common site in French Quarter.

The mule-drawn carriage drivers argue that they treat their animals – the source of their livelihood – well.

Please sign the Change.org petition directed to city and state elected officials to ban mule-drawn carriages in New Orleans.

Take PETA’s Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide along with you next time you head to the store! The handy guide will help you find humane products at a glance. Order a FREE copyHERE

Want to do more than go vegan? Help others to do so! Click on the below for nominal, or no, fees to vegan literature that you can use to convince others that veganism is the only compassionate route to being an animal friend.